Improvement in harrows



8. WHITE.

Rotary Harrow.

Patented Sept. 14,1858.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAML. WHITE, OF PENFIELD, ASSIGNOR TO HARLOW HERRIGK, OF LA GRANGE, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARROWS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 21,542, dated September 14, 1858.

revolving shafts removed for the purpose of better showing the gears.

The nature of my invention consists in the arrangement of a series of diverging shafts armed with teeth radiating from the center of the shaft. Each end of every shaft is provided with a journal, and revolves either by the friction of its own teeth upon the ground or by means of cog-gears attached to a spurwheel. The diverging shafts are so arranged that they can be made to diverge more orless by means of an adjusting apparatus, as hereinafter described.

The center bar, A, is about three and onehalf or four inches square and five or six feet in length. The forward end is furnished with a clevis by which the barrow is drawn.

To the back end of the bar A is framed a piece of timber of like diameter with the first, but curved forward, so that a radial line drawn from any part would strike the center bar, A, near the forward end.

At each end of the piece 13, upon the concave surface, is secured a plate of iron, 0, by means of screw-bolts D. These plates are furnished with slots where the bolts pass through them, so that they can be moved outward or inward for the purpose of widening or contracting the back end of the barrow, as hereinafterdescribed. These plates have holes passing through them at suitable distances apart to receive the gudgeons of the revolving shafts E E E, into which the barrow-teeth are inserted.

At the intersection of the pieces A and B a plate or bar of metal is attached, as seen at F,

v for the purpose of strengthening the parts.

Upon the two sides of the piecesAmetallic plates are attached, as seen at G G H H I 1,

Fig. 1, which serve to hold the gudgeons of the forward ends of the revolving shafts E E E. These plates are stationary upon the sides of the piece A, the forward end being turned at an obtuse angle from the piece A,

thus forming a bearing for the gudgeon of the shafts E E E.

At K is seen a spur-wheel, which revolves with the forward motion of the harrow. This spur-wheel works in an opening eutin the center bar, A. Upon each end of the shaft of this wheel is a bevel-gear, L L, which works into a like gear, M M, on the forward end of the shafts E E. This spur-wheel by its rotating motion aids, by means of the bevel-gears, the rotation of the shafts E E.

The barrow-teeth N are inserted through the shafts E E E in a spiral form and project on either side about six or eight inches. The revolvin g shafts E E E diverge from the center bar, A, at an angle of from sixty to seventy degrees, and in consequence of this di vergence the friction upon the ground as the harrow is drawn forward causes them to rotate slowly. The middle pair, E E, are aided in their rotating motion by means of the spurwheel K and gears M L M L, as before specified. If these shafts were placed at an angle of ninety degrees from the center bar, A, they would simply roll over the ground without harrowing it. On the other hand, if they were placed parallel with the center bar, A, they would not revolve at all, except those that were acted upon by the gears of the spur-wheel K. By loosening the bolts D theplates O can be moved outward or inward-that is, the degrees of divergence can be varied-so that the shafts will revolve slower or faster, as may be desired.

What I claim as my improvement, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The adjustable plates 0 O, in combination with the revolving shafts E E E, and in connection therewith the spur-wheel K, all operating in the manner and for the purpose specified.

SAMUEL WHITE.

Witnesses:

HARLOW HERRIGK JAs. BROWN. 

